Cry of the Angel: Part Three

"We found you asleep on the front lawn with a suitcase. Krystal told us," May explained. "What happened?"

"Can I have dinner here today? Celia's serving leftovers again," Angela moaned. "She, uh, told me I could sleep over if that was okay with you guys."

"Of course!" May said before Nicole could open her mouth. "Is it okay if you sleep in my closet? The center is really roomy and kinda comfy."

"Uh, yeah." Angela grabbed her bag and followed Krystal inside.

The room was warm and cozy compared to the cold, wet October grass. Angela accepted the hot borovan and carrot soup as she seated herself at the table. Sure enough, there was a warm plate of dinner rolls to greet her.

The Island Uni watched as Krystal and Bella talked in their own petpet language while enjoying some faerie petpet food mixed with Bella's special Faellie Feasties. May offered Angela some soy chicken, but Angela traded it in for some soufflé as May continued talking about the day's events.

Every time Angela had eaten lunch at the Crystalline estate, she felt like she was in a buffet with wide varieties of steaming hot, fresh from the oven food.

***

"Here we are," May said in a fancy tone once they unveiled her bedroom. "Love it?"

Angela hadn't seen May's bedroom since the awful first day she had come to meet the Crystalline family. May didn't really bother to explain much except for that Bella slept in a crib and that her room was 'small'.

"May, if this is a small room, what's a big room?" Angela asked.

"All three of my rooms put together into one bedroom." May shut the cherry wood door.

Bella climbed into the cot so May dropped Krystal in next. The two petpets mingled through the plushies, blankets, and pillows stacked to no end.

"I'll straighten up my closet for you." May opened the door to the walk-in. "Stay here and wander freely."

Angela plopped down on May's NeoFoam mattress that had been covered with silky sheets and fluffy pillows. She picked up an issue of the times and began reading the circled article.

Local citizen of Faerieland, May P. Crystalline, has protested to no end on building a store in the mall just for Faellies, and today she finally makes her dream come true. If you visit the local mall starting June 2nd, you will see Faellie Palace in the north-east corner of the second floor.

Angela tossed the issue aside and picked up the magazine labeled Neo Top Ten.

May's picture was on the cover, the pink Uni clad in makeup and jewelry and sporting Faboo brand clothes to Neopia's end. She had struck a trendy pose and had a clutch dangling from her hoof, one of her blue eyes caught in a wink as she flashed her closed-mouth smile.

Suddenly, she heard a noise. She looked up from the glossy photo to find Krystal jumping from torch to torch of May's bedside reading nook. Bella was swinging from the purple glass chandelier, all the contents of the cot spread around the carpet.

May's mountain of iced-doughnut beanbags were overturned, the blankets were on the luxurious sofa, and the white cobblestone fireplace had been turned to faux-fire, and the island Uni could see the silver knob of the closet start to turn.

Quickly, Angela leveled out the chandelier, re-assembled the beanbag corner, put the blankets back on the beanbags, put the two petpets in the cot, and threw all the contents back. Then, she turned off the fireplace, and when May walked in, the Island Uni was hurriedly re-arranging the cot.

"What happened?" May asked.

"I was looking at this," Angela held up the magazine, "and before I knew it, the petpets had over-turned the cot and were hopping about destroying the bedroom! I'm really sorry."

"Whatever." May picked up a plushie from the cot. "Bella knows the rules, so each time she breaks them I take away one of her toys."

"How many have you taken away so far?" Angela asked.

"One today, and one when she didn't wipe her paws."

Angela glanced at May before the pink Uni left to confiscate the toy. The Island Uni looked in the mirror to view not a sleek, yellow boy-cut, but a long forest green mane with bangs hanging down in her face. Instead of a fuzzy brown coat, she was glancing at a white fur coat with tan stripes. Instead of a tail with a stripe through the middle, the tail was all green. Instead of brown, soft paws, she saw golden hooves.

She remembered her reflection in the pond, but decided that it was all a dream. Reflections don't talk unless the one that the pond is reflecting does.

When the Uni entered the closet, she had access to May's in-suite bathroom, bedroom, and wardrobe. In the very center was Angela's brand new pillow and sleeping bag with her new rug to the side. Also, a glass of water and a box of Neopkins had been placed to the side on a coffee table. Angela presumed that it had once been home to Bella's shoes or May's accessories.

The only light in the room was May's disco ball and the only sounds were the Twisted Roses speaker, so Angela turned off the speaker. She picked up a book that May had placed a pink sticky-note on.

Ang – I think you might like this book. It's about a geek who gets turned into a princess the same day of her birthday. – May

Angela looked at the book. 'Cry of the Angel' had been written across the top in aqua colored penmanship. A picture of a blue Grarrl and a brown Uni had been placed next to each other.

Suddenly, the knob in the bedroom creaked, so the island Uni went back to the main bedroom.

"Sorry 'bout that." May shut the door.

"It's fine by me." Angela looked down at the glitter on May's bottom hooves. "I like the closet arrangement. Looks like you went through a lot to put that together."

"I did," May replied. "Bella's collars are living under my shoe rack now."

"Thanks," Angela replied. "When I first met you, you'd never do anything like this to me!"

"You're welcome."

***

Angela sat at the Crystalline buffet that morning, waiting for May to finish with her vegetarian omelette and french toast. Angela glanced at the two petpets, who were enjoying the petpet food.

"Here you go." May handed Angela a bacon and cheese omelette. "I don't eat these things, but that doesn't mean you can't!"

Angela smiled as May poured the island Uni a glass of orange juice. Nicole gave each Uni a slice of toast to go with their omelettes, and she gave May some soy milk.

"So, what do you want for lunch today?" May asked, pondering through her wallet.

"I was thinking I'd have pizza with Cupcake, Mizzy, and Princess today," Angela replied. "I have enough for that."

Tess ejected some midnight eyeshadow from her backpack and shoved it in Angela's face.

"Thanks." Angela dabbed her white eyelids.

"So, Ang," Jen began, "did you ever get that petpet May said you could have?"

"Mm-hm." Angela pulled a picture of Krystal from her jean pocket. "Her name is Krystal."

"Her original name was Heart," May began, "but Angela liked Krystal better."

"She's so cute!" Vanilla gushed, batting her eyelashes.

"I just wanna reach into the pic and pet her!" Tess squealed.

"You can on Friday," May reminded the Unis. "Angela, well, she sort of lives in my closet now."

Three Unis turned to face the Island Uni.

"You see, she was tired of Celia and those constant leftovers..." May explained.

While the pink Uni went on in endless discussion, Angela decided to think about the May that she met when she first arrived in Faerieland. Compared to that May, this May was pure sugar! Angela became worried about what might happen.

"So, what do you think?" May asked.

"Huh?" Angela left her daydream.

"I mean moving into the clubhouse. We were going to make the clubhouse in a private underground sort of thing, so we could move your guesthouse bedroom into the clubhouse. We'll even build you a private bathroom and a walk-in!" May explained.

"You probably want your closet back, right?" Angela teased.

"Pleeeeeeeeeease?" May begged.

Angela and the Unis burst out laughing, and soon the Island Uni managed to say, "Sure."

"YESSSSS!" May cheered, locking her bike in the bike cage.

***

May took a textbook from her locker, cradling her books in her right arm as if they were Bella. The Uni draped her coat over the stack and then placed them on the floor to close her locker.

Angela followed suit. In just a matter of hours, she would be officially part of May's sleepover – and this time she wouldn't get pelted with cream cheese or soy cream cheese.

"Ang..." May closed the Island Uni's locker. "I need your help."

"What with?" Angela asked.

"I have exactly three hours to move the clubhouse furniture to our underground club. If you could get your sleeping bag and pillow into the family room, then fix the closet, I'll help you move your guesthouse bedroom to the clubhouse."

"Okay," Angela replied.

When the two Unis finally got home, May raced up to her bedroom to get rid of her shoes, socks, coat, hat, and school supplies. Angela immediately threw her sleeping bag and pillow to May, then set up Bella's collars and also handed May the box of Neopkins.

May dropped the items on the family room floor then took the Neopkins and put them in the old clubhouse. After that, she took the basket of clipboards and pencil boxes to the underground club. Next, she moved pillows, beanbags, tray-tables, and rugs. After that, Nicole helped with the bigger furniture.

After that was done, May and Angela snuck into the deserted room, carrying all of Angela's new things back to the club with Nicole's help again.

"Hey, who's where?" Jen asked, entering the mansion.

"JENNIE!" Angela and May exclaimed.

"I brought a friend with me today," Jen began, "since Angela and you each had one."

"Strawberry has a special bottle," Vanilla explained, "and she can't drink from anything else!"

"Not even this?" May held out one of Bella's spare bottles.

"No, it has to be – " Tess began.

"Is it this?" Angela picked up a pink bottle with Faellie stickers along the side in the shape of a heart.

"Thank you!" Tess gasped, quickly washing it off in the garage sink.

"You're welcome," Angela replied. "I'd do anything for a Uni."

May smiled. Angela took that as a sign of approval.

"Angela, watch out for that rock!" May called.

"What?" Angela asked.

But the Uni had already flipped about a mile down the road.

***

"Angela?" May asked.

The island Uni felt around her. She was in the old clubhouse, on her bed. The other Unis were eating cabbages and apples, which meant that they had chose her over Kelp. Angela liked this.

"Is she okay?" Jen asked.

"Yes." Angela sat up.

"We were so worried about you!" Vanilla exclaimed.

"Ouch – my neck hurts!" Angela whined.

"Here ya go." May fastened a neck brace around the island Uni's neck. "It's a good thing I always carry a first-aid kit with me."

"Thanks a lot." Angela smiled. "If I were you, we'd probably be at Kelp by now."

"Correction," Angela's Xweetok reflection in the vanity mirror said, "if you were ME."

"Angela?" Tess waved her front leg in front of Angela's face.

"What?" Angela asked.

"You were staring at the wall – again!" Vanilla put emphasis on 'again'.

"Guys, something really weird has been happening." Angela pinched herself in case this was all a dream. "Every time I look at my reflection, a yellow Xweetok appears and says something and then fades into an image of my face."

"Maybe you're just not used to it." May tried to sound positive.

"Maybe you're not cut out to be a Uni," Tess scoffed.

"Maybe you should move back to Neopia Central," Vanilla replied.

"Maybe you should be nicer to her before you lose your club membership," May replied.

"What's so special about her?" Jen asked. "I mean, she's too poor to get a real house and you paid for nearly everything in this room!"

"She's a UNI," May replied. "The motto of the club it Unis Always Come First!"

"What did it say about former losers?" Tess asked.

"May, look at her!" Jen snapped. "The only thing that's changed is her appearance. On the inside, she's still the same loser that walked into this house three months ago."

"That's it! For every put-down about a Uni, you must give three put-ups!" May snapped at her friends. "That's nine for each of you!"

"You're painted, you're a Uni, you have a nice room, you're thoughtful, you have a nice petpet, you're fortunate, you get good grades, you have awesome physical abilities, and you're trustworthy!" Jen replied.

"You're beautiful, you're honest, you have good athletic abilities, you have a lot of tolerance, you can eat meat without worrying about your petpet, you get along with everyone, you're smart, and you're cool!" Vanilla shouted.

"I'd have to agree with all that," Tess lied.

"Okay then," May replied. "Now, let's work on Angela's problem."

***

"May, it's past midnight." Vanilla yawned. "Can't we just get back to this later?"

"Okay, what's YOUR bright idea?" May asked.

"You know what?" Tess asked. "Maybe I shouldn't BE in this club! Maybe I need to move on and quit being bossed around by your precious little May."

"Fine!" Jen shouted. "Leave, and never EVER come back!"

Tess stormed out of the house, making her way towards her own.

"Angela?" May asked.

"What?" Angela asked.

"I – I think you should get some sleep. The others will work this out for you," May replied.

"Okay." Angela slid down to the clubhouse where the sleeping bags were.

Author's note: This is also by my good friends unicornland124 (Olivia) and missy_in_meridell (Missy). Cupcake comes from Olivia and Mizzy and Princess are all Missy's. Thank you for helping and letting me use your pets. I'm giving you all credit for this one!

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